Henry f



(No Model.)

H. F. 8; A. W. CASE. v

FLOOR CLAMP. No. 275,017. K Patented Apr.3, 1883.

"// fiven aim I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F. CASE AND A. WELLS CASE, OF SOUTH MANCHESTER, CONN.

FLOOR-CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,017, dated April3,-188L.

Application filed December 29, 1882.

.To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HENRY F. CASE and A.WELLS CASE, of South Manchester, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful In]- provements inFloor-Clamps; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, whereby a person skilled in theart can make and usethe same, reference being bad to the accompany ingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

' Like letters in the figures indicate the same parts.

Our improvement relates to a tool or device for clamping and pressing upthe boards of a floor, while it is being laid, to close the joints, andnailing it while held in this position.

The object of our invention is to provide means for performing theforegoing operation ip a more rapid and eflicient manner than hasheretofore been done.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating our invention, Figure l is aside view of our improved clamp with a floor-board pushed up and readyto be nailed. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. Fig. 3 isa detachedview of the inside of one of the arms of the clamp, showing the groovewhich holds the nail and fixes its proper position for securing thefloor-board.

A is one of the boards of a floor while being laid.

B is one of the floor-joists to which the board A is to be nailed.

C and D are the two sides or levers of the clamp. These are pivotedtogether by the pin or rivet E, upon which they turn. The upper ends ofthese levers form the handle, and the lower ends are bent outward, so asto form two arms, C and D, separated sufliciently to extend a shortdistance downward on each side of the joist.

F and G are two adjustableset-screws which turn in hollow threads at thelower ends of the-arms Cand D. Their inner ends are pointed, so as toenter the wood of the joist and form pivots upon which the whole clampcan turn. The screws F and G are also provided with suitable beads, bywhich they can be screwed into the joist or released.

jointed floor-boards.

(No model.)

H is a link at the top of the levers C and D for the purpose of hookingthem together, and thereby retaining the points of the screws in thejoist.

J and K are two studs or projections upon the inner sides of the arms Cand D, and permanently attached to them. They meet or nearly meet attheir inner ends when the two arms of the levers forming the handle arebrought together. The sides of the studs coming opposite the floor-boardA are furnished with a groove which reaches entirely across the face ofthe clamp, including the arms C and D, which serves as a gage forplacing the tool, when in use, by bringing itexactly against thetonguecommonly made on the edge of This fixes the position of the clampand determines the point where the nail enters. This groove is shownatLin the drawings. Each of the studs'J and K is furnished upon itsinner end with an inclined slot or channel, one of which is shown at Kin Fig.3, for guiding the nail at the proper place and inclination tofasten down the front edge of the board A. When the two studs arebroughttogether, as shown in Fig. 2, they form a guide into which thenail M is inserted, and then driven into the floor.

WVhen our improved floor-clamp has been once adjusted by turning thescrews F and G for a certain thickness ofjoistthe screws do not requireto beagain touched. The implement is released by separating the handles,which opens likewise the lower end. It is then placed to push up andsecure a floor-board by inclining itslowerend slightly under the board,with the grooveL opposite the tongue of the board, closing the handlesfirmly together, which causes the points of the screws to enter thesides of the joist; then drawing the top back so as to close up the seambetween the new board and the last one laid; then inserting the nail anddriving it home. The clasp H at the top of the handle can be used, ifdesired, to hold the two parts together; but ordinarily the grasping andpulling back of the handles holds them the wood of the joist, so as toform a resistingpivot upon which the clamp turns in pushing up theboard.

IQO

innereuds forguidingthe nail, and a groove on their faces to serve as agage, substantially as described.

HENRY F. CASE. A. WELLS CASE.

\Vitnesses:

EDWIN F. DmooK, THEo. G. ELLIS.

